William h



(No Model.)

W. H. DREW.

i CARPET STRETGHBR. No. 277,015. Patented May 8,1883.

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UNITED STATES PATENT Orl-ECE.v

WILLIAM H. DREW, OF LA PORTE, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND SAMUELFILDES, OF SAME PLACE.

CARPET-STRETCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 277,015, dated May 8,1883.

' Application filed March 17,1883. (No model.,

To all whom 'it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. DREW, acitizen of the United States, residing in La Porte, in the county of LaPorte and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Carpet-Stretchers, of which the following is a specification.

In my improved carpet-stretcher the device for seizing the carpet,consisting of a block or pad furnished With numbers ofne sharp teeth onits under surface, is adapted to be pressed down upon the carpet by theknee, hand, or foot of the operator, so as to grasp the carpet firmly,and is connected to a slotted sharppointed pulling-lever by means of aratchet or toothed draw-bar. The draw-bar is preferably connected to thecarpet-seizing device by a bali-and-socket joint, so that .the operator,by tilting the pulling-lever from one side to the other, may pull thecarpet in slightly different directions, as may be necessary to bringthe edge thereof square against the wall. Thetop ofthe socket oftheball-and-socket joint is cut away, so that the draw-bar may lie or befolded back on the carpet-seizing device. The under surface of thecarpet-seizing device is preferably provided with teeth in alternatestrips or sections, and the upper surface is cushioned for theconvenience of the operator. The ratchet-teeth on the draw-bar l cut ina peculiar form, to prevent the teeth from becoming` disengaged with thepin or pivot of the lever when the draw-bar occupies differentinclinations. g 35 In the accompanying drawings, which form a part ofthis specification, and in which similar letters of reference indicatelike parts, Figure lis a side elevation of a device embodyingmyinvention. Fig. 2 is a plan view, and Fig.

3 is a detail bottom view of the carpet-seizing 'number of ne sharpteeth, c, on its under surface. These teeth are preferably inserted atan angle, projecting forward in the direction the carpet is to bestrained, so as to cause the same to engage more readily therewith. Theteeth are preferably arranged on the under surface of the block instrips or sections C', leaving blank spaces C2 between them, as,arranged in this way, the same number of teeth will in effect take holdof a larger section of 7o carpet. rlhe upper surface of thecarpet-seizing device is provided with a cushion, O3, for the knee ofthe operator. The teeth b in the draw-bar are hooked or recessed, asshown at b2, so that at whatever inclination the drawbar B is placedthere will be no tendency for it to become disengaged with the pin a2 ofthe lever A. The socket of the balI-and-socket joint is provided with aslot, b3, so that the draw-bar may be folded back upon the carpet- 8oseizing device.

In practice the operator places his knee or other portion of his body onthe cushion of the carpet-seizing device, whereby its teeth are causedto engage with the carpet, and then, 8.5 by operation of the lever A,stretches the carpet into position. By means of the ball-andsocket jointthe foot of the lever may be inserted -in different positionsin thedoor, or the top of the lever may be oscillated from side to go side, sothat it will be seen that the carpet may be stretched in whateverdirection it may he necessary to cause its edge to it snugly against thewall Without changing the position of the carpet-seizing device. 95

The sharp teeth c in the bottom of the carpet-seizing device are made offine steel, and may preferably be secured in a thick piece of leathersecured to the block.

Having thus described my invention, what I Ico claim as new, and desiret0 secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of a lever having Y a sharp vfoot adapted to be setin the door to constitute its fulernm, a carpet-seizing device, and aratchet draw-bar for eonneotingthe latterto saidllever, substantially asspecified.

2. The combination of a carpet-seizing device, C, provided with teeth onits under surface, ratcheted draw-bar B, connected therewith by a.bail-and-socket joint, and slotted' lever A, provided with sharp foot a,substantially as specified.

3'. The combination ofthe carpet-seizing device C, provided with sharpteeth c on its under surface and cushion C on its upper sur face, withthe ratchet draw-bar B and lever A, substantially as specified.

4. The combination of the carpet-seizing de- A vice C, provided withsharp teeth c ou its uu VILLIAM H. DREW.

In presence oi` J oHN F. WALKER, J. THEO. BALL.

